CMI On TV – ‘Bates Motel’ Big Reveal

Is Norman already a killer?

By

Andrew Collins

April 24, 2013 - 1:19pm

Is Norman Bates just a victim at this point in “Bates Motel,” or is his
homicidal future already a foregone conclusion?

That’s question the new episode of “Bates Motel” left viewers with after a
major revelation. First Dylan, Norman’s
half-brother, plants a seed of doubt in him that his father wasn’t killed by a
freak accident, but rather intentionally by his mother Norma. Norma, when
asked, denies its. Later, Norma explains to Dylan what actually happened the
day her husband died. The damning flashback reveals that Norman – not
his mother and not a falling shelf– actually killed his father.

Or did he? We have only Norma’s word for it and she’s hardly a credible
source. She has killed, obscured evidence and a past of obscuring evidence and
is often clearly unstable.

By contrast, Norman,
up until this point, has been a model of relative stability and common sense. He
has somewhat normal relationships with girls. Overall, he seems like he’s just
trying to do what’s best for his struggling, single mother, who he thinks might
need help. He even urges her to confess to killing Keith Summers, her would-be
rapist.

The flashback, however, throws a wrench in the game and provides yet another
taste of the psycho Norman
will become. If he can suppress a memory like killing his father, he certainly
could go through the mental gymnastics of becoming his dead mother. Even though
Bates Motel often casts him as a victim, he’s well on his way to becoming a
psychotic killer.

Federal employees and military personnel can donate to the Media Research Center through the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC. To donate to the MRC, use CFC #12489. Visit the CFC website for more information about giving opportunities in your workplace.